im Stoff stehen

14:52 Mar 24, 2013
This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer

German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Part of an interview with a member of staff at a chemical company
German term or phrase: im Stoff stehen
I'm assuming it's a slang expression rather than a literal description...

Here are the lines before and after for context:

5. Was macht Ihre Arbeit bei xxxxx interessant?

Eigentlich alles. Ich bin ein bisschen technisch begabt. Das macht mir Spaß, weil man hier was damit zu tun hat. Ich sitze hin und wieder am PLS (Prozessleitsystem), um die Anlage zu überwachen. Das mache ich sehr gerne. Die Flexibilität, die sollte als Anlagenfahrer gewahrt bleiben. Es wird monatlich gewechselt. Dann bist du mal am PLS, aber auch mal unten in der Anlage, damit du nichts verlernst. **** So stehst du praktisch immer im Stoff.**** Es kommt relativ viel Neues dazu bei uns. Die Vielseitigkeit, die Abwechslung, das ist angenehm. Da helfen die regelmäßigen monatlichen Schulungen. Das funktioniert. Und wenn du auf Anhieb nicht alles verstehst, gibt es den Schichtmeister oder Ingenieure, wo man hingegen und es sich erklären lassen kann. Das klappt.

I'm assuming it's something like "nearly always in the thick of it" or possibly "pretty much always being kept on your toes", but it's not an expression I've come across before...
pj-ffm
Local time: 10:39


Summary of answers provided
3That way, you're always immersed in the material.
Michael Martin, MA
1 +1to be up to date / to be in the know
andres-larsen
2 -1keeps you engaged/involved/fired up/pumped up
gangels (X)
Summary of reference entries provided
im Bilde sein / Bescheid wissen / eingeweiht sein = to be in the know
andres-larsen

Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to be up to date / to be in the know


Explanation:
to be up to date / to be in the know

auf dem neuesten Stand sein / auf dem Laufenden sein = to be up to date

dict.cc Wörterbuch :: to be up to date :: Deutsch-Englisch-Übersetzung
www.dict.cc/englisch.../to be up to date.html
Englisch-Deutsch-Übersetzung für to be up to date im Online-Wörterbuch dict.cc ( Deutschwörterbuch).

im Bilde sein / Bescheid wissen / eingeweiht sein = to be in the know

dict.cc Wörterbuch :: to be in the know :: Deutsch-Englisch ...
www.dict.cc/englisch.../to be in the know.html
Englisch-Deutsch-Übersetzung für to be in the know im Online-Wörterbuch dict. cc (Deutschwörterbuch).



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Note added at 30 mins (2013-03-24 15:23:45 GMT)
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that way you are practically always up to date

andres-larsen
Venezuela
Local time: 05:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 2

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexandra Reuer: You're constantly engaging with the subject matter, yes.
1 hr
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): -1
keeps you engaged/involved/fired up/pumped up


Explanation:
"Thus, you always stay engaged/involved/etc......Keeps you on your toes means "wachsam sein"/"auf der Hut sein", not really applicable here. You can "im Stoff stehen" (fully committed) without necessarily being "in the thick of it" (in the fulcrum of things). That's how I read it, anyway.

gangels (X)
Local time: 03:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Kim Metzger: Is this the fruit of the pull-it-out-of-your-you-know-what school of translation?
2 hrs
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
That way, you're always immersed in the material.


Explanation:
Or:
"That way, you alway stay on top of it (your skills)"

I've tried to find phrases that would fit the flow of the passage.
While I think I rendered the meaning correctly, more work may need to be done to make this sound a bit more colloquial...

PS: Perhaps, I could throw in "literally" for "praktisch" or switch up the sentences to include "like". Especially with the second phrase, that would provide the added benefit of getting rid of the predicate verb (a mere nuisance for most people, anyway) "That way, you're always, like, on top of your skills"
...Ducking away now..

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Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2013-03-28 01:24:43 GMT)
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Another option that would work pretty well here, in my opinion:

"You're always (being) put through your paces."

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 05:39
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 63
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Reference comments


22 mins
Reference: im Bilde sein / Bescheid wissen / eingeweiht sein = to be in the know

Reference information:
dict.cc Wörterbuch :: to be in the know :: Deutsch-Englisch ...
www.dict.cc/englisch.../to be in the know.html
Englisch-Deutsch-Übersetzung für to be in the know im Online-Wörterbuch dict. cc (Deutschwörterbuch).


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2013-03-24 15:18:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

auf dem neuesten Stand sein / auf dem Laufenden sein = to be up to date

dict.cc Wörterbuch :: to be up to date :: Deutsch-Englisch-Übersetzung
www.dict.cc/englisch.../to be up to date.html
Englisch-Deutsch-Übersetzung für to be up to date im Online-Wörterbuch dict.cc ( Deutschwörterbuch).

andres-larsen
Venezuela
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 2
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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